I hate FeedBurner. Then again, this whole RSS thing wouldn't be nearly as confusing if Blogger didn't give both an Atom and RSS option. At least my AdSense is still working.
Ok, so, if you follow both this blog (Full of Useful Information) and my other blog, Romantic Reflections, you'll have noticed that subscribing to both only gave you posts from RR. They should be fixed now. If you follow both sites, please replace your RSS Feeds if you are using them and resubscribe. If you are seeing anything about weddings from FoUI or anything not related to weddings from RR (besides these posts about RSS and such), email me.
If you're following this blog on a RSS Reader, please leave a comment if you can see this. Thanks and sorry for the inconvenience.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Inspiration
I am feeling very inspired today. Obama is our president-elect and I'll take this moment to tell the Republicans to suck it up -- McCain accepted his defeat graciously, why can't you? Prop 8 may have passed but a lot of people are fighting hard to turn it over. (Please sign the online petition to re-open it.) I always felt strongly about the content of Prop 8 but after finding out that it actually passed and that no one is taking it lying down, my fire for the topic has been reignited and I realized just how wrong Prop is.
Two days ago, I met with the guy I'm working with on a start-up and asked for the "Director of Marketing" title, which he happily granted me. Today I'm going to a meeting for a 5-day conference at the San Diego Convention Center that I'm working/volunteering for.
I'm feeling pumped up! =)
Two days ago, I met with the guy I'm working with on a start-up and asked for the "Director of Marketing" title, which he happily granted me. Today I'm going to a meeting for a 5-day conference at the San Diego Convention Center that I'm working/volunteering for.
I'm feeling pumped up! =)
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election Day Freebies!!
I hope everyone goes out and votes today! If you do, take your little "I Voted" sticker over to the following places today for freebies!
Krispy Kreme (all locations) - free star shaped donut with "patriotic sprinkles" (hey, that's what the website said.
Starbucks - free tall (12 oz) cup of brewed coffee
Ben & Jerry's (5-8pm) - free scoop of ice cream
UPDATED: LifeHacker has a more complete list of freebies being given out nationwide, in addition to a link to a forum discussing a lot of locational freebies which includes, but is not limited to free car washes, free tattoo removal, and free adult toys.
PS: No on 8!
Krispy Kreme (all locations) - free star shaped donut with "patriotic sprinkles" (hey, that's what the website said.
Starbucks - free tall (12 oz) cup of brewed coffee
Ben & Jerry's (5-8pm) - free scoop of ice cream
UPDATED: LifeHacker has a more complete list of freebies being given out nationwide, in addition to a link to a forum discussing a lot of locational freebies which includes, but is not limited to free car washes, free tattoo removal, and free adult toys.
PS: No on 8!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Blame the Economy?
The Chinese have a saying that roughly translates to "With money, you can't do everything. Without money, you can't do anything."
Times are really tough right now. The job market is awful, which really hurts me being a recent graduate, and I feel really discouraged (yes, again) in this job hunt.
It's not until you don't have that you realize how much how your life relies on it. I'm not talking about little things like cell phone bills. I mean even trying to make long-term improvement to your life is hard. I'm taking classes to get a professional certificate, which I'm hoping will be the true key to opening doors for me, but the classes cost money. Gas to get to my classes costs money. Printing new business cards so I can properly network and find opportunities cost money. All of these things are investments so I can build myself a good future but am I in any position to fund it?
I read on SavvySugar that the bad economy might actually be really good for new graduates because not being able to find a job right away will give them the time and opportunity to figure out what it is they really want to do and not waste time in the first position they can find. I like this bright spin on it and I've always been the voice of optimism but I'm finding it hard to digest.
I keep a smiling face and always said that things would work out; I just have to be patient and keep working at it.
I'm sorry to sound so depressing but it's just so, so hard for me right now and for the first time in a long time, I am genuinely concerned that life won't just work itself out and my little bubble will get burst and I just won't know what to do when I'm down to my last dollar.
Chin up, right?
Times are really tough right now. The job market is awful, which really hurts me being a recent graduate, and I feel really discouraged (yes, again) in this job hunt.
It's not until you don't have that you realize how much how your life relies on it. I'm not talking about little things like cell phone bills. I mean even trying to make long-term improvement to your life is hard. I'm taking classes to get a professional certificate, which I'm hoping will be the true key to opening doors for me, but the classes cost money. Gas to get to my classes costs money. Printing new business cards so I can properly network and find opportunities cost money. All of these things are investments so I can build myself a good future but am I in any position to fund it?
I read on SavvySugar that the bad economy might actually be really good for new graduates because not being able to find a job right away will give them the time and opportunity to figure out what it is they really want to do and not waste time in the first position they can find. I like this bright spin on it and I've always been the voice of optimism but I'm finding it hard to digest.
I keep a smiling face and always said that things would work out; I just have to be patient and keep working at it.
I'm sorry to sound so depressing but it's just so, so hard for me right now and for the first time in a long time, I am genuinely concerned that life won't just work itself out and my little bubble will get burst and I just won't know what to do when I'm down to my last dollar.
Chin up, right?
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The Thought That Counts
I've said before that I'm a recent college graduate without a career or a job yet. That being said, I am lacking in all sorts of means to be green and simple the way I really want to be. Living in an apartment and not having solid cash flow means a lot of things are just really not feasible no matter how much I want to help the environment, save energy, or simply live better.
When No Impact Man wrote this detailed article about vermicomposting, the use of worms in composting, I got very excited about the idea of composting. As someone who is now cooking a lot of vegetables, the increasing amount of stuff being thrown away is disturbing. Never mind all the political connotations about our land fills, throwing something away that isn't actually bad just doesn't seem to sit right with me. So, I read the article and did a little more research on vermicomposting, but the more I read, the less this seemed feasible for me to do right now. For starters, an apartment is not generously spaced. Even though the composting can be done in a storage bin, I really don't have a good place to put it. Furthermore, I don't have any place to store anything else that might go with it -- extra paper for the bedding, the fertilizer when it's complete, etc. Another big point was that I read it would take about 6 months for the first batch to be ready. Now, 6 months isn't a really long time but let's consider a few other things... I have a lease on this apartment. I could be moving in a matter of months and to be realistic, probably a few more times in the next few years. Even though it's just one bin of worms, I have to move it several places before I have a real garden to use fertilizer in. That's the other thing -- I don't grow anything yet. I did start some tomatoes lately but they're not even big enough to leave their first pot and I haven't even started talking about all the little extra things I need for gardening. Again, living in an apartment, particularly one you won't be in very long, makes all these things very inconvenient.
Energy conversancy is even harder. Yes, I would like to have energy efficient things but I live in a complex. A tiny complex. I have to use their washers and I don't have any space or place to do line drying or air drying. So yes, it costs me extra money and to be quite honest, I really hate using laundry rooms anyway. They don't maintain the machines as well as they should, my clothes always smell funny, and don't get me started on laundry room drama. My dream is use solar panels but that's something that won't be realized for a long time.
The hardest part of it all is reading these blogs and hearing these suggestions I have thought of myself or great ideas that had never occurred to me before and not being able to do any of it.... right now. One prime example is water -- I've heard over and over again not to buy bottled water and a lot of suggestions of alternatives, but like I keep saying they are just not doable for me now. I do have a Britta water filter but I really dislike the taste of Britta water. Tap water tastes strange to me too. What I'd rather have is a filter straight from the sink, like my parents have at home, but again, I live in a complex.
So, I do the little things, as I can. I recycle the cans and bottles I use now. I try to get my groceries from the stores that buy local. I frequently avoid fast food. And one day, I'll be able to conserve the way I really want to... until then, I just have to keep wanting to.
When No Impact Man wrote this detailed article about vermicomposting, the use of worms in composting, I got very excited about the idea of composting. As someone who is now cooking a lot of vegetables, the increasing amount of stuff being thrown away is disturbing. Never mind all the political connotations about our land fills, throwing something away that isn't actually bad just doesn't seem to sit right with me. So, I read the article and did a little more research on vermicomposting, but the more I read, the less this seemed feasible for me to do right now. For starters, an apartment is not generously spaced. Even though the composting can be done in a storage bin, I really don't have a good place to put it. Furthermore, I don't have any place to store anything else that might go with it -- extra paper for the bedding, the fertilizer when it's complete, etc. Another big point was that I read it would take about 6 months for the first batch to be ready. Now, 6 months isn't a really long time but let's consider a few other things... I have a lease on this apartment. I could be moving in a matter of months and to be realistic, probably a few more times in the next few years. Even though it's just one bin of worms, I have to move it several places before I have a real garden to use fertilizer in. That's the other thing -- I don't grow anything yet. I did start some tomatoes lately but they're not even big enough to leave their first pot and I haven't even started talking about all the little extra things I need for gardening. Again, living in an apartment, particularly one you won't be in very long, makes all these things very inconvenient.
Energy conversancy is even harder. Yes, I would like to have energy efficient things but I live in a complex. A tiny complex. I have to use their washers and I don't have any space or place to do line drying or air drying. So yes, it costs me extra money and to be quite honest, I really hate using laundry rooms anyway. They don't maintain the machines as well as they should, my clothes always smell funny, and don't get me started on laundry room drama. My dream is use solar panels but that's something that won't be realized for a long time.
The hardest part of it all is reading these blogs and hearing these suggestions I have thought of myself or great ideas that had never occurred to me before and not being able to do any of it.... right now. One prime example is water -- I've heard over and over again not to buy bottled water and a lot of suggestions of alternatives, but like I keep saying they are just not doable for me now. I do have a Britta water filter but I really dislike the taste of Britta water. Tap water tastes strange to me too. What I'd rather have is a filter straight from the sink, like my parents have at home, but again, I live in a complex.
So, I do the little things, as I can. I recycle the cans and bottles I use now. I try to get my groceries from the stores that buy local. I frequently avoid fast food. And one day, I'll be able to conserve the way I really want to... until then, I just have to keep wanting to.
Friday, October 17, 2008
RSS
Okay, so I just realized that the RSS for FoUI was actually giving the feed for posts from RR and I've spent the better part of the last hour trying to navigate the AdSense and FeedBurner websites to
1) make sure the RSS feeds correspond to the correct blogs
2) cover the RSS, Atom, and XML feeds
3) activate AdSense on all the feeds
So, if there are any problems with the feeds on either http://randomshanna.blogspot.com (Full of Useful Information) or http://shannachoung.blogspot.com (Romantic Reflections), please email me at shannachoung@gmail.com with subject "RSS" and specify the feed that is not doing what it is supposed to do. Thanks!
1) make sure the RSS feeds correspond to the correct blogs
2) cover the RSS, Atom, and XML feeds
3) activate AdSense on all the feeds
So, if there are any problems with the feeds on either http://randomshanna.blogspot.com (Full of Useful Information) or http://shannachoung.blogspot.com (Romantic Reflections), please email me at shannachoung@gmail.com with subject "RSS" and specify the feed that is not doing what it is supposed to do. Thanks!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Links
Link dump! You know, I usually do this to clean out tabs in Firefox because I find so many interesting things that I want to share or just think are really neat and feel hesitant to close them right away because what if I want to look for it later and forget about it?? Well, lucky I have good 'ol blogger to use as storage. =P
Plus, I did say I would try and write more.
Porn for Women: Really, this is totally SFW... because this series of photographs depicts guys doing stuff like taking out the trash while commenting that he likes to do it before you have to ask him to. Girls eat this stuff up? You bet they do. This series has also been incorporated into a book and a calender.
If you don't know what 4chan is, I think you should consider yourself lucky. It's a landfill of pictures, gifs, etc. that are usually intended to be highly inappropriate/offensive for the sake of humor. BUT there is the occasional gem and this one was cross-posted by Cute Overload, which has yet to offend anyone as far as I know. This is Metallica's "Enter Sandman," told by LOLCATS.
23 Awesome License Plates for Computer Geeks.... speaks for itself.
6 Things Star Wars Teaches Us About Money and 25 Things I Learned About Business from South Park: some of these are a bit of a stretch but some are pretty interesting examples of financial concepts.
Also from BSPCN, 35 Places to Download Free, Legal MP3's. I haven't tried any of these sites myself but if you do, let me know which ones you liked.
Plus, I did say I would try and write more.
Porn for Women: Really, this is totally SFW... because this series of photographs depicts guys doing stuff like taking out the trash while commenting that he likes to do it before you have to ask him to. Girls eat this stuff up? You bet they do. This series has also been incorporated into a book and a calender.
If you don't know what 4chan is, I think you should consider yourself lucky. It's a landfill of pictures, gifs, etc. that are usually intended to be highly inappropriate/offensive for the sake of humor. BUT there is the occasional gem and this one was cross-posted by Cute Overload, which has yet to offend anyone as far as I know. This is Metallica's "Enter Sandman," told by LOLCATS.
23 Awesome License Plates for Computer Geeks.... speaks for itself.
6 Things Star Wars Teaches Us About Money and 25 Things I Learned About Business from South Park: some of these are a bit of a stretch but some are pretty interesting examples of financial concepts.
Also from BSPCN, 35 Places to Download Free, Legal MP3's. I haven't tried any of these sites myself but if you do, let me know which ones you liked.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Hiatus Explained
(x-post from RR, with edits pertaining to this blog)
Anyhow, the job hunt has been a bit depressing, realizing that I may have to settle for something that won't further the skills I've trained in event planning just to have money to get by... On top of that, I have friends in computer programming that are getting wonderful job offers. They tell me I'll probably get a lot more out of my career than they ever will because I really do love it... but in the context of finding a job, it's not the most consoling thing right now.
So, I haven't really been feeling in the mood to blog, but I'm slowly coming out of my slump. I recently started my certificate in Events Planning at USD, which really just means I'm taking a class right now called Entertainment Events Management since they don't offer classes simultaneously during the school year. More importantly, I've realized that I need to take action to make changes to my situation.
"If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, water your own lawn."
Although, I'm finding it harder and hard to stay interested in random things online. I've let so many things just sit in my RSS reader because I haven't felt like going through them. I don't want to be one of those people that is just glued to their computer all the time because truthfully I get a lot more out of the things I do when I'm not sitting at the computer. Recently, I've read the entire Harry Potter series (which I think is wonderful) and started planting tomatoes. I've made a decision to pick up knitting sometime soon too.
Anyway, I will probably be dropping my Weekly Links feature but hopefully you will be seeing more of my blogging after this slump.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Weekly Links
First, I'd like to note that I have just added AdSense for my RSS Feed so you'll notice that I've now switched to full-length posts to display! This will look so much better for the readers and I won't lose out on the AdSense money. =) Also, you'll notice that if you click on the RSS button in the address bar, there are two options -- one for an Atom feed and one for RSS. Please choose the Atom feed, as that is the one linked to my account. I don't honestly know the difference but I'll look it up since I'm planning a post soon about the beauty (and dangers) of using RSS. And, if you subscribe to my other blog, please do the same thing. Thanks!
And now for the weekly links:
When I was a little kid, I like to use MS Paint to create abstract wallpapers... for lack of a better description, I basically used most of the "tools" and most of the colors to make something that didn't look like anything. Well, now here's a web version of that called bomomo, but much much better -- more tools and more designs.
Recently, a friend of mine and I decided that "fried" automatically makes a food tasty. Imagine my surprise when I came across this post the following day, outlining 25 Foods You Never Knew Could Be Deep Fried. The chocolate chip cookie dough and Cadbury creme eggs sound the most appetizing to me. I've always wanted to try deep fried ice cream too, mostly because the mechanics of frying ice cream blow my mind.
I've recently discovered ListVerse; a fountain of Top Ten lists from funny to sad to bizarre. See the full archive here.
The Comedy Feed posted a list of 9 Reasons It's Better To Be A College Freshman Now Than in 1998. As someone who recently graduated from college, I have to agree that with a lot of these reasons but probably the first one most of all. =)
You've heard of arm wrestling as a way for men to demonstrate their masculinity to another man, but what about elbow wrestling or foot boxing? Check out 10 Manly Feats of Strength for more!
Now to get serious:
USA Today featured an article discussing how one man's loss of family could have gained the world Superman. The story seems to ring a bit close to Batman's, as far as how death will set the living down a new path of life, but really puts Superman in a new light for me. I always thought he was a bit too goody-two-shoes but now I see him as a person who feels the pains of loneliness and loss like everyone else.
Finally, Marissa's Bunny -- three stuffed bunnies who are making their way around the US and hopefully around the world to spread awareness about a very rare pediatric condition called Infantile Spasms. It's a very touching story and the guys at Penny Arcade are giving Fairfax (the bunny) a VIP pass at PAX this year.
And now for the weekly links:
When I was a little kid, I like to use MS Paint to create abstract wallpapers... for lack of a better description, I basically used most of the "tools" and most of the colors to make something that didn't look like anything. Well, now here's a web version of that called bomomo, but much much better -- more tools and more designs.
Recently, a friend of mine and I decided that "fried" automatically makes a food tasty. Imagine my surprise when I came across this post the following day, outlining 25 Foods You Never Knew Could Be Deep Fried. The chocolate chip cookie dough and Cadbury creme eggs sound the most appetizing to me. I've always wanted to try deep fried ice cream too, mostly because the mechanics of frying ice cream blow my mind.
I've recently discovered ListVerse; a fountain of Top Ten lists from funny to sad to bizarre. See the full archive here.
The Comedy Feed posted a list of 9 Reasons It's Better To Be A College Freshman Now Than in 1998. As someone who recently graduated from college, I have to agree that with a lot of these reasons but probably the first one most of all. =)
You've heard of arm wrestling as a way for men to demonstrate their masculinity to another man, but what about elbow wrestling or foot boxing? Check out 10 Manly Feats of Strength for more!
Now to get serious:
USA Today featured an article discussing how one man's loss of family could have gained the world Superman. The story seems to ring a bit close to Batman's, as far as how death will set the living down a new path of life, but really puts Superman in a new light for me. I always thought he was a bit too goody-two-shoes but now I see him as a person who feels the pains of loneliness and loss like everyone else.
Finally, Marissa's Bunny -- three stuffed bunnies who are making their way around the US and hopefully around the world to spread awareness about a very rare pediatric condition called Infantile Spasms. It's a very touching story and the guys at Penny Arcade are giving Fairfax (the bunny) a VIP pass at PAX this year.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Michael Phelp's New Bachelor Pad
CasaSugar just posted this gallery of pictures from Olympic golden boy Michael Phelps' new 4,080 square foot condo in Baltimore. I especially love the home theater and outdoor fireplace.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Weekly Links
I'm sorry; I completely flaked on this week's post. To make up for it, I have TWO extra "Links" posts coming up later today -- an Olympic edition and one that is NSFW and hilarious.
CNN is reporting that there is now evidence of Bigfoot. A 7-foot-high hairy body was brought back from a camping trip and is now waiting analysis from professionals including a molecular biologist, paleontologist, and anthropologist. I don't think if I believe it but I'll definitely be interested to see what the studies discover.
The winner of the "worst writing contest" has been announced. San Jose State University's 26th annual Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest invites entrants to compose an opening sentence to a nonexistent novel. The contest was named for Victorian novelist Edward George Earl Bulwer-Lytton, whose 1830 novel Paul Clifford, famously began "It was a dark and stormy night..."
Ever wonder where phrases like "it's raining cats and dogs" or "caught red-handed" came from? Well, check out this very informative collection on the origins of familar phrases from Neatorama.
Mental Floss presented the 10 Most Expensive Hotel Rooms, for your vicarious pleasure. I couldn't help noticing that most of the "rooms" were really suites and some featured multiple bedrooms. Nearly all, however, do feature a residential butler.
Cinderella, Tinkerbell, and Snow White have been arrested... or rather, the employees protraying them at Disneyland have been taken into custody after their protest against the new health care options.
CNN and Real Simple teamed up to bring you "How to think faster, better on your feet," which emphasizes the power of improvisation.
CNN also brought this heart-warming story of a loyal dog who watched over his owner's body for weeks after his death.
Geek links: Stepcase Lifehack gathered up 30+ Free Security, Encryption, Firewall and Antivirus Apps for Windows.
CNN is reporting that there is now evidence of Bigfoot. A 7-foot-high hairy body was brought back from a camping trip and is now waiting analysis from professionals including a molecular biologist, paleontologist, and anthropologist. I don't think if I believe it but I'll definitely be interested to see what the studies discover.
The winner of the "worst writing contest" has been announced. San Jose State University's 26th annual Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest invites entrants to compose an opening sentence to a nonexistent novel. The contest was named for Victorian novelist Edward George Earl Bulwer-Lytton, whose 1830 novel Paul Clifford, famously began "It was a dark and stormy night..."
Ever wonder where phrases like "it's raining cats and dogs" or "caught red-handed" came from? Well, check out this very informative collection on the origins of familar phrases from Neatorama.
Mental Floss presented the 10 Most Expensive Hotel Rooms, for your vicarious pleasure. I couldn't help noticing that most of the "rooms" were really suites and some featured multiple bedrooms. Nearly all, however, do feature a residential butler.
Cinderella, Tinkerbell, and Snow White have been arrested... or rather, the employees protraying them at Disneyland have been taken into custody after their protest against the new health care options.
CNN and Real Simple teamed up to bring you "How to think faster, better on your feet," which emphasizes the power of improvisation.
CNN also brought this heart-warming story of a loyal dog who watched over his owner's body for weeks after his death.
Geek links: Stepcase Lifehack gathered up 30+ Free Security, Encryption, Firewall and Antivirus Apps for Windows.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Hilarious but inappropriate links (mostly NSFW)
This weird little flash game is technically SFW but I don't really think you should be caught playing anyway. Click here to play.
Have you ever seen a metal bench or wall with holes in it and decide to see if your finger fits in it, only to get it stuck later and realize what a dumb idea that was? Well, this guy did that except with his PENIS. In Hong Kong, a man decided to pleasure himself using a park bench but wound up with a four-hour trip to the ER and one embarrassing story.
Fleshbot featured 10 clips of moments in porn gone terribly wrong. These two less inappropriate clips (read: not explicit) were the most hilarious to me.
Strip tease gone wrong...
and Why You Don't Interrupt Your Girl When She's Cooking for Kitchen Sex...
For the rest of the Fleshbot list, go here.
Have you ever seen a metal bench or wall with holes in it and decide to see if your finger fits in it, only to get it stuck later and realize what a dumb idea that was? Well, this guy did that except with his PENIS. In Hong Kong, a man decided to pleasure himself using a park bench but wound up with a four-hour trip to the ER and one embarrassing story.
Fleshbot featured 10 clips of moments in porn gone terribly wrong. These two less inappropriate clips (read: not explicit) were the most hilarious to me.
Strip tease gone wrong...
and Why You Don't Interrupt Your Girl When She's Cooking for Kitchen Sex...
For the rest of the Fleshbot list, go here.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
The Olympics Online
Like most, I'm super excited for the Olympics and can hardly wait for the games to start! We don't get cable and even our basic channels have pretty crappy reception so this year, I'm looking forward to following the Olympics exclusively online. This is the first time I've done this and this is most web-based broadcast material that has ever been offered so it's bound to be great.
Thankfully, I'm not the only one who has been wondering what the best way to follow the games online is. LifeHacker noted that Google is providing in-line search of the Olympic schedule. (E.g. you can type in "women's beach volleyball olympics" or "tennis olympics" and get the full schedule.) Also, they linked to this WikiHow on tips for various locations.
Personally, I'm probably going to be glued to the NBC Olympics website, since they bought the rights to broadcast in the US and will likely offer the most varied material.
The opening ceremony is tomorrow night. For me, the opening and closing ceremonies were always the best part of the games because it brought a spirit of sportsmanship and comradie to the surface. The idea that people with different backgrounds, who spoke different languages and believed in different religions and politics, can put all that aside for a simple race or game... well, it's magical. I'm not a big sports person in general but the Olympics have a deeper meaning for me than that. I apologize in advance if my posts seem even fewer and far between over the next few weeks; I'm really not kidding about how into the Olympics I am.
Thankfully, I'm not the only one who has been wondering what the best way to follow the games online is. LifeHacker noted that Google is providing in-line search of the Olympic schedule. (E.g. you can type in "women's beach volleyball olympics" or "tennis olympics" and get the full schedule.) Also, they linked to this WikiHow on tips for various locations.
Personally, I'm probably going to be glued to the NBC Olympics website, since they bought the rights to broadcast in the US and will likely offer the most varied material.
The opening ceremony is tomorrow night. For me, the opening and closing ceremonies were always the best part of the games because it brought a spirit of sportsmanship and comradie to the surface. The idea that people with different backgrounds, who spoke different languages and believed in different religions and politics, can put all that aside for a simple race or game... well, it's magical. I'm not a big sports person in general but the Olympics have a deeper meaning for me than that. I apologize in advance if my posts seem even fewer and far between over the next few weeks; I'm really not kidding about how into the Olympics I am.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Freebies and Cheapies
This is going to be another thematic thing for this blog -- things I find that are really cheap or free, like the Staples photo printing, which by the way are up to $0.19 each now. Most of the things I find will be limited time offers, or even one day only, so please RSS to the blog to stay updated.
If you have any 35 mm or disposable camera rolls of undeveloped film laying around, take them to Walgreens today with this coupon for a FREE developing of a roll of 4x6 pictures. The offer is only good for today and there's no other purchase necessary!
TCBY is celebrating the season by offering 99 cent waffle cones, filled with frozen yogurt, every Wednesday for the rest of the summer. Not all locations are participating though, so check TCBY for locations and call ahead.
If you have any 35 mm or disposable camera rolls of undeveloped film laying around, take them to Walgreens today with this coupon for a FREE developing of a roll of 4x6 pictures. The offer is only good for today and there's no other purchase necessary!
TCBY is celebrating the season by offering 99 cent waffle cones, filled with frozen yogurt, every Wednesday for the rest of the summer. Not all locations are participating though, so check TCBY for locations and call ahead.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Weekly Links
Since the last round-up of various links was on a Wednesday, I'm going to make the middle of the week the Weekly Links post to feature a variety of interesting things I find throughout the week.
First off, a video that everyone is talking about -- "Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" -- a talk by Randy Pausch, professor of Computer Science, human-computer interaction, and design at Carnegie Mellon University. It's gaining so much popularity because the concept behind "last lecture" asks professors what they would talk about if they only had one lecture left to give. In Randy Pausch's case, it really was his last lecture; he recently passed away from pancreatic cancer. Hopeful and inspirational, this video speaks deeply yet lightly to all.
Former Googlers are now preparing to launch a rival search engine, according to CNN. Will Google be able to defend their title against up-and-coming companies?
It's never too late to go into your dream career, as this 73-year-old Japanese man has proven by breaking into porn after retirement.
If you ever get frustrated with your homework or tests, check out this collection of funny answers. I wish I was brave enough to turn in things like that.
Mental Floss presented a wonderful list on why Mister Rogers was the best neighbor ever, chock full of little-known facts about everyone's favorite cardigan-sporting man.
Geek links: Desktop icon war, amazing cursor kite, and "The Mona Leia."
Career links: TheJobBored compiled a list of "40 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started My Career," and SavvySugar presents the "Nine Most Common Search Terms" that hiring managers look for when picking a candidate for a position.
Living: Zen Habits recently did a round-up of articles about advice and tips on such matters as getting up early, living simply, living frugal, how to be romantic on the cheap, and the things he wish he knew when he first started out on life. (These were my favorites out of the featured articles.)
First off, a video that everyone is talking about -- "Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" -- a talk by Randy Pausch, professor of Computer Science, human-computer interaction, and design at Carnegie Mellon University. It's gaining so much popularity because the concept behind "last lecture" asks professors what they would talk about if they only had one lecture left to give. In Randy Pausch's case, it really was his last lecture; he recently passed away from pancreatic cancer. Hopeful and inspirational, this video speaks deeply yet lightly to all.
Former Googlers are now preparing to launch a rival search engine, according to CNN. Will Google be able to defend their title against up-and-coming companies?
It's never too late to go into your dream career, as this 73-year-old Japanese man has proven by breaking into porn after retirement.
If you ever get frustrated with your homework or tests, check out this collection of funny answers. I wish I was brave enough to turn in things like that.
Mental Floss presented a wonderful list on why Mister Rogers was the best neighbor ever, chock full of little-known facts about everyone's favorite cardigan-sporting man.
Geek links: Desktop icon war, amazing cursor kite, and "The Mona Leia."
Career links: TheJobBored compiled a list of "40 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started My Career," and SavvySugar presents the "Nine Most Common Search Terms" that hiring managers look for when picking a candidate for a position.
Living: Zen Habits recently did a round-up of articles about advice and tips on such matters as getting up early, living simply, living frugal, how to be romantic on the cheap, and the things he wish he knew when he first started out on life. (These were my favorites out of the featured articles.)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
I'm semi-famous!
David Willis is the mastermind writer and artist behind web comics Roomies, Joyce and Walky, and Shortpacked. In preparation for this year's San Diego Comic Con, he compiled a collage of pictures and sketches from last year's Comic Con, featured on both of his currently running comics:
See that sketch in the top left corner, of the bride and groom? That's Joyce and Walky, title characters of the comic. At the time of the sketch, they had just gotten engaged. As of this post, they are not yet married.
Why am I asking you to pay so much attention to that sketch? Because that's the sketch I asked for at last year's Comic Con!
(Original sketch)
Since they had just gotten engaged and are pretty much the most perfect couple ever, I asked Mr. David Willis for a sketch of them getting married. He laughed that it was cheating but happily sketched it anyway and snapped a picture to show his girlfriend Maggie. In fact, that's me holding it up in the picture! (Maggie, BTW, was a production assistant on WALL-E and her name can be found in the intro credits.)
Anyway, my plug is complete for Mr Willis and his comics. After seeing this, I'm even more disappointed about not going to Comic Con this year. I know I could have gotten out of the admission fee by volunteering but I don't have enough money to buy things and I really just want to support the web comic artists I follow. The list grows every year and the comics get more and more popular. I'm a HUGE web comic geek, so for me SDCC is for them. If I can't help support them through merch and such, I don't really see the point in going. But I hope everyone that goes enjoys themselves and I can make it to next year's.
See that sketch in the top left corner, of the bride and groom? That's Joyce and Walky, title characters of the comic. At the time of the sketch, they had just gotten engaged. As of this post, they are not yet married.
Why am I asking you to pay so much attention to that sketch? Because that's the sketch I asked for at last year's Comic Con!
(Original sketch)
Since they had just gotten engaged and are pretty much the most perfect couple ever, I asked Mr. David Willis for a sketch of them getting married. He laughed that it was cheating but happily sketched it anyway and snapped a picture to show his girlfriend Maggie. In fact, that's me holding it up in the picture! (Maggie, BTW, was a production assistant on WALL-E and her name can be found in the intro credits.)
Anyway, my plug is complete for Mr Willis and his comics. After seeing this, I'm even more disappointed about not going to Comic Con this year. I know I could have gotten out of the admission fee by volunteering but I don't have enough money to buy things and I really just want to support the web comic artists I follow. The list grows every year and the comics get more and more popular. I'm a HUGE web comic geek, so for me SDCC is for them. If I can't help support them through merch and such, I don't really see the point in going. But I hope everyone that goes enjoys themselves and I can make it to next year's.
Links of the Week
First, sorry about hiatus -- I was in Vegas over the weekend! I have some things to say about that but first, a series of things I meant to blog about last week:
-Staples now offers picture printing! They just added the booths, so it's super cheap to get pictures printed now. Because it's promotional, 4x6 photos only cost $0.10 each! For comparison, Target's current special is 20 pictures for $3 ($0.15 each) and CVS costs $0.39 each for 4x6 pictures. Of course, this is a limited time offer so if you need to print pictures, go now!
-Jamba Juice has a buy one, get one free coupon on their website right now, which expires at the end of this month. Just sign up, print it out and bring it to any Jamba Juice store.
-Apartment Therapy compiled a list of 20 uses for used dryer sheets. A lot of people already use dryer sheets for more than just their laundry but this list features a few new ones and emphasizes the fact that these tips are for dryer sheets that were already used in the laundry.
-Genetic theory on homosexuality: an interesting theory on how homosexuality survives genetically despite the difficulties of passing on the gene.
-And, of course, with all the Dark Knight hype, there have been a lot of articles circulating about Batman such as an analysis of whether or not Batman would be a feasible real person and a list of life lessons we learned from Batman. I haven't seen the movie myself yet but I am hearing really great things about it.
-Staples now offers picture printing! They just added the booths, so it's super cheap to get pictures printed now. Because it's promotional, 4x6 photos only cost $0.10 each! For comparison, Target's current special is 20 pictures for $3 ($0.15 each) and CVS costs $0.39 each for 4x6 pictures. Of course, this is a limited time offer so if you need to print pictures, go now!
-Jamba Juice has a buy one, get one free coupon on their website right now, which expires at the end of this month. Just sign up, print it out and bring it to any Jamba Juice store.
-Apartment Therapy compiled a list of 20 uses for used dryer sheets. A lot of people already use dryer sheets for more than just their laundry but this list features a few new ones and emphasizes the fact that these tips are for dryer sheets that were already used in the laundry.
-Genetic theory on homosexuality: an interesting theory on how homosexuality survives genetically despite the difficulties of passing on the gene.
-And, of course, with all the Dark Knight hype, there have been a lot of articles circulating about Batman such as an analysis of whether or not Batman would be a feasible real person and a list of life lessons we learned from Batman. I haven't seen the movie myself yet but I am hearing really great things about it.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
How to Be A Good Host/Hostess
I like to play hostess. I like to hold parties. Not the wild off-the-wall house party types, but small get-togethers. Between failed experiences with this and my future wedding/event planning career aspirations, I've learned a lot about throwing parties. (For example, I had one failed potluck which will be featured in this article and one very successful one. I'll discuss some of the things that helped make one better than the other.) These are some tips based on generic events on the smaller scale of the size scale.
1) Make your decisions early and stand firm by them.
The most important decisions in planning your party come way before the invitations go out. Decide the type of party, location, and a loose schedule of events. While it's good to be flexible, it's indubitably very difficult to keep a large number of people well-informed to changes. The larger the event, the less flexibility you should have in changing big things like the location. I say have a loose schedule because there's no point in stressing yourself out when things happen to go a little off schedule. I guess you should think of as more like knowing a general order of events rather than a schedule. Having a general plan will help you fend off people who are sitting around bored because nothing is happening and it doesn't feel like anything is going to happen either... it also helps quell that whole "what are we going to do now/next" problem that happens a lot at gatherings which tend to result in everyone just sort of hanging around.
Some tips:
2) Know your guest list
Choose your guests wisely. If people have problems with other people, don't invite both sides. If you don't want to forced to choose a side, try to see if a temporary ceasefire can be negotiated. (I.e. Talk to both sides, saying that you want to have him/her/them there but really want to avoid any problems and see if your pals are willing to put differences aside for a short time. If not, I would either suggest not inviting either side or just inviting the side that was willing to cooperate.)
Another problem at events has been "the loner." This is the person who just one of your friends and not part of a group of friends, who might have a difficult time mingling because the group is already tight-knit. Solutions to this problem include: inviting his/her mate, telling him/her to bring a friend, or avoiding the big group thing altogether. I used to be pretty bad about mixing friends but I've wised up to it -- pick out only your individual closest friends and prepare a way of introducing them. For example, mentioning the friends a few times to one another before introducing and saying"the one I told about" is one potential way. Another is introducing them by name and then mentioning something that you already know they have in common. Another good way to get everyone involved (and not having anyone wind up alone in a corner) is to incorporate group activities in which everyone must participate. This means activities that involve rotation through the individuals (everyone has a turn), not activities in which one person takes charge and the others follow.
As you're hosting, be sure to walk around a lot. This will prevent you from spending all your time with one person or group and therefore discourage any resentment if anyone gets little or no attention after being invited to your party. Also, this will help keep you up-to-the-minute on how the the party is going because you'll be getting feedback from all over the place. If there is anyone there that you don't know, make sure you meet them. This is part of good hospitality but mostly it's just weird to leave a party without even meeting the person that threw it. Maybe it's acceptable for frat boys but we're talking about events that don't involve you waking up in strange places. Anyhow, guests should not just be names on a list to you. Make the effort to get in a few words with your guests and it'll go a long way.
The last thing big point about knowing your guest list is RSVP's and follow-ups. Try to get everyone to RSVP as soon as possible. An accurate count makes a huge difference when it comes to preparing things such as food, drinks, and utensils. If anything should change, tell your guests to contact you ASAP. If someone doesn't respond, follow up. If they don't respond to the follow-up, discount them. If they don't bother to RSVP then there's no real point in putting in the extra effort to keep them informed about the details of the event. I know it's kind of harsh but event planning isn't an easy task and your guests don't need to make it harder by not cooperating with your need for information.
3) Communication
In conjunction with your "stand by your decisions," effective communication is key to a smoothly executed event. This means many things but first and foremost, it means you must be clear and understandable in all your communication. If you hold something at a restaurant, make sure your directions specify exactly which one it is so there's no confusion. Allow for people who have no idea where it is. (E.g. Instead of "the one near my house," use "the one on the corner of X and Y streets, near That One Store.")
Communication is easier in this day and age with the advance of technology and forms of communication that allow for mass info flow such as email and FaceBook. I planned my latest event on FaceBook (which is the current most popular social networking site, for those of you who have been living under a rock) and it made it very easy for me to message everyone at the same time and coordinate information like who was bringing what dish to the potluck. Also for this event, I modified a Google map with detailed instruction on how to get into the building. Google Maps now has these wonderful features where you can plop placemarks and draw lines on any maps of your choice and save it to your profile, where you can share it with the world or privately to your friends. Here's more information -- My Maps (Google Maps).
Inform everyone of details and developments. For the potluck, I wanted to avoid a repeat of my last potluck where we had no real food but lots of store-bought dessert so I specified that everyone should try to bring a real dish. Most people did and those who didn't still purchased something more substantial than chips or ice cream.
Be accessible. If people have questions, be available to answer them. The last 24 hours before your event begins are probably the most essential and shame on you if you don't have your phone on for them.
4) Greetings, Valedictions, and Thanks
Your guests are what make your event a party. Without them, all you have is an empty venue and a lot of uneaten food. Therefore, any and all efforts to show your appreciation will (most of the time) be well-received and make you look very gracious and humble. If possible, greet all your guests and exchange small talk with everyone. Smile, make little jokes, and be pleasant.
Valediction is really just a fancy term for saying farewells. Thank everyone for coming when they leave. Say you enjoyed having them and you should do this more often. Make sure people know their way out (out of building, back to freeway, etc.).
Thank everyone afterward. Thank you notes or emails are simple and effective, and it gives the event closure. This is also the time to make any announcements about things discovered after the event, such as left-behind jackets. For events that involved gifts, it's better to write personal thank notes for the attendance and the gift. For an event that is centered around social activity rather than a single person, a broad generic one is acceptable. The Simple Dollar has a wonderful article on how to write thank you notes.
On that note, thanks for reading and comments are most appreciated.
1) Make your decisions early and stand firm by them.
The most important decisions in planning your party come way before the invitations go out. Decide the type of party, location, and a loose schedule of events. While it's good to be flexible, it's indubitably very difficult to keep a large number of people well-informed to changes. The larger the event, the less flexibility you should have in changing big things like the location. I say have a loose schedule because there's no point in stressing yourself out when things happen to go a little off schedule. I guess you should think of as more like knowing a general order of events rather than a schedule. Having a general plan will help you fend off people who are sitting around bored because nothing is happening and it doesn't feel like anything is going to happen either... it also helps quell that whole "what are we going to do now/next" problem that happens a lot at gatherings which tend to result in everyone just sort of hanging around.
Some tips:
- Instead of straining yourself to work around everyone else's schedules, pick a date slightly off in the distance. If it's too short notice, people will most likely have made plans. If it's too far off, no one will be able to respond to you soon because no one will know their plans. It's hard to give a general guideline because it depends on the type of lifestyles your guests lead. Most of my friends are early to mid-twenties so their schedules are pretty flexible and short-term; I think 2-4 weeks in advance is a good amount of time.
- Since you're the one hosting it, most people will tend to follow your direction pretty well. Don't leave major decisions like 'what to do after you eat' to your guests. Some smaller decisions, like voting on a movie to watch, will help adapt the party to your guests. Like any group of people, a leadership position needs to be filled, particularly if the guests aren't all familiar with each other.
- Don't doubt yourself too much! Of course, have the ability to change something if it's really not working out (e.g. a particular type of food costs too much for x number of people), but don't torment yourself with whether or not other things will be "better" choices. Remember, parties are meant to be enjoyed.
2) Know your guest list
Choose your guests wisely. If people have problems with other people, don't invite both sides. If you don't want to forced to choose a side, try to see if a temporary ceasefire can be negotiated. (I.e. Talk to both sides, saying that you want to have him/her/them there but really want to avoid any problems and see if your pals are willing to put differences aside for a short time. If not, I would either suggest not inviting either side or just inviting the side that was willing to cooperate.)
Another problem at events has been "the loner." This is the person who just one of your friends and not part of a group of friends, who might have a difficult time mingling because the group is already tight-knit. Solutions to this problem include: inviting his/her mate, telling him/her to bring a friend, or avoiding the big group thing altogether. I used to be pretty bad about mixing friends but I've wised up to it -- pick out only your individual closest friends and prepare a way of introducing them. For example, mentioning the friends a few times to one another before introducing and saying"the one I told about" is one potential way. Another is introducing them by name and then mentioning something that you already know they have in common. Another good way to get everyone involved (and not having anyone wind up alone in a corner) is to incorporate group activities in which everyone must participate. This means activities that involve rotation through the individuals (everyone has a turn), not activities in which one person takes charge and the others follow.
As you're hosting, be sure to walk around a lot. This will prevent you from spending all your time with one person or group and therefore discourage any resentment if anyone gets little or no attention after being invited to your party. Also, this will help keep you up-to-the-minute on how the the party is going because you'll be getting feedback from all over the place. If there is anyone there that you don't know, make sure you meet them. This is part of good hospitality but mostly it's just weird to leave a party without even meeting the person that threw it. Maybe it's acceptable for frat boys but we're talking about events that don't involve you waking up in strange places. Anyhow, guests should not just be names on a list to you. Make the effort to get in a few words with your guests and it'll go a long way.
The last thing big point about knowing your guest list is RSVP's and follow-ups. Try to get everyone to RSVP as soon as possible. An accurate count makes a huge difference when it comes to preparing things such as food, drinks, and utensils. If anything should change, tell your guests to contact you ASAP. If someone doesn't respond, follow up. If they don't respond to the follow-up, discount them. If they don't bother to RSVP then there's no real point in putting in the extra effort to keep them informed about the details of the event. I know it's kind of harsh but event planning isn't an easy task and your guests don't need to make it harder by not cooperating with your need for information.
3) Communication
In conjunction with your "stand by your decisions," effective communication is key to a smoothly executed event. This means many things but first and foremost, it means you must be clear and understandable in all your communication. If you hold something at a restaurant, make sure your directions specify exactly which one it is so there's no confusion. Allow for people who have no idea where it is. (E.g. Instead of "the one near my house," use "the one on the corner of X and Y streets, near That One Store.")
Communication is easier in this day and age with the advance of technology and forms of communication that allow for mass info flow such as email and FaceBook. I planned my latest event on FaceBook (which is the current most popular social networking site, for those of you who have been living under a rock) and it made it very easy for me to message everyone at the same time and coordinate information like who was bringing what dish to the potluck. Also for this event, I modified a Google map with detailed instruction on how to get into the building. Google Maps now has these wonderful features where you can plop placemarks and draw lines on any maps of your choice and save it to your profile, where you can share it with the world or privately to your friends. Here's more information -- My Maps (Google Maps).
Inform everyone of details and developments. For the potluck, I wanted to avoid a repeat of my last potluck where we had no real food but lots of store-bought dessert so I specified that everyone should try to bring a real dish. Most people did and those who didn't still purchased something more substantial than chips or ice cream.
Be accessible. If people have questions, be available to answer them. The last 24 hours before your event begins are probably the most essential and shame on you if you don't have your phone on for them.
4) Greetings, Valedictions, and Thanks
Your guests are what make your event a party. Without them, all you have is an empty venue and a lot of uneaten food. Therefore, any and all efforts to show your appreciation will (most of the time) be well-received and make you look very gracious and humble. If possible, greet all your guests and exchange small talk with everyone. Smile, make little jokes, and be pleasant.
Valediction is really just a fancy term for saying farewells. Thank everyone for coming when they leave. Say you enjoyed having them and you should do this more often. Make sure people know their way out (out of building, back to freeway, etc.).
Thank everyone afterward. Thank you notes or emails are simple and effective, and it gives the event closure. This is also the time to make any announcements about things discovered after the event, such as left-behind jackets. For events that involved gifts, it's better to write personal thank notes for the attendance and the gift. For an event that is centered around social activity rather than a single person, a broad generic one is acceptable. The Simple Dollar has a wonderful article on how to write thank you notes.
On that note, thanks for reading and comments are most appreciated.
Monday, July 7, 2008
French Serial Killer Engaged
This is one of many recent news stories from CNN making me realize that either 1) anyone can fall in love and deserves love or 2) people are crazy. The romantic part of me wants to believe that just about anyone can find a deserving and fulfilling love but the skeptic/realistic in me wonders what the heck is going through their minds.
Case in point, this story is about French serial killer Charles Sobhraj, who has confessed to his own crimes and has a life sentence in prison. But I guess that doesn't stop him from love -- he met a French interpreter hired for his lawyer, a woman 44 years his younger. He has recently attempted to appeal to the Nepal court for release and the two plan on getting married if he is freed.
The article says, "Biswas said she was certain the Supreme Court would free Sobhraj because of a lack of evidence against him."
I don't think that says a whole lot about a man you'd be marrying. On top of that, his nickname is "the serpent," due to his reputation as a skilled disguise and escape artist.
Not exactly the type to bring home to Mother...
Case in point, this story is about French serial killer Charles Sobhraj, who has confessed to his own crimes and has a life sentence in prison. But I guess that doesn't stop him from love -- he met a French interpreter hired for his lawyer, a woman 44 years his younger. He has recently attempted to appeal to the Nepal court for release and the two plan on getting married if he is freed.
The article says, "Biswas said she was certain the Supreme Court would free Sobhraj because of a lack of evidence against him."
I don't think that says a whole lot about a man you'd be marrying. On top of that, his nickname is "the serpent," due to his reputation as a skilled disguise and escape artist.
Not exactly the type to bring home to Mother...
Friday, July 4, 2008
Solve the Problem of Useless Gift Cards
What do you normally do when people have gotten you a gift card to someplace you'd never shop? Most people stash it someplace and it goes completely unused... this happens to me if I can't find someone to re-gift it to.
But some brilliant mind on the internet found a solution -- a network of people exchanging gift cards, aptly named Swap A Gift.
Here's more information about how it works. They buy your card as long it meets their requirements (65% - 75% of the amount left, depending what type of card it is) and as long as it's on their list. Heck, even if it's not on their list, if you email them nicely and ask. Alternatively, you can post your card for other people to buy or swap with personally.
I haven't tried it myself but it looks extremely useful!
But some brilliant mind on the internet found a solution -- a network of people exchanging gift cards, aptly named Swap A Gift.
Here's more information about how it works. They buy your card as long it meets their requirements (65% - 75% of the amount left, depending what type of card it is) and as long as it's on their list. Heck, even if it's not on their list, if you email them nicely and ask. Alternatively, you can post your card for other people to buy or swap with personally.
I haven't tried it myself but it looks extremely useful!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Credit Cards for All!
Tired of the absurdity of credit card companies, who sent credit card applications addressed to even her 6-year-old and 3-year-old children, a Chicago mother allowed her then 5-year-old son to full one out and return it to the company. To her surprise, the credit line was approved and a shiny credit card with a $600 spending limit was sent to her son.
Apparently, minors without income or any assets can be approved to spend more than they can count. Way to go, Bank of America.
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/credit.card.kids.2.750473.html
Apparently, minors without income or any assets can be approved to spend more than they can count. Way to go, Bank of America.
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/credit.card.kids.2.750473.html
OneManga: Read all your manga online!
If you were like me a few years ago, you waited anxiously for the latest chapter of Naruto to be scanalated every Friday and download it from Narutofan or some other fansite that required a membership.
Scanalations are a term for virtual manga that has been scanned onto the computer from Japanese hard copies and translated by fans that are just looking to help distribute a good read to other fans. Manga is Japanese-style comics, read from right to left like the Japanese language and constantly features exaggerated actions and emotions like Japanese anime. Some popular and famous ones include Naruto (which is about ninjas), One Piece (pirates), and Dragon Ball Z. If I need to describe DBZ for you then you need to get out from under your rock.
Anyhow, this wonderful website -- OneManga -- features well over 200 of the most popular manga and it's all completely free, no registration required. And, my favorite part, you don't even need to spend any time downloading them; the comics are right on their servers and you can even shift through the pages using your left and right arrow keys.
If you need someplace to start, I recommend my favorites: Naruto, Shaman King, and OnePiece.
Scanalations are a term for virtual manga that has been scanned onto the computer from Japanese hard copies and translated by fans that are just looking to help distribute a good read to other fans. Manga is Japanese-style comics, read from right to left like the Japanese language and constantly features exaggerated actions and emotions like Japanese anime. Some popular and famous ones include Naruto (which is about ninjas), One Piece (pirates), and Dragon Ball Z. If I need to describe DBZ for you then you need to get out from under your rock.
Anyhow, this wonderful website -- OneManga -- features well over 200 of the most popular manga and it's all completely free, no registration required. And, my favorite part, you don't even need to spend any time downloading them; the comics are right on their servers and you can even shift through the pages using your left and right arrow keys.
If you need someplace to start, I recommend my favorites: Naruto, Shaman King, and OnePiece.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Check the Doneness of Meat
Here's a guide from Simply Recipes on how to test the done-ness of your meat (I assume steak is the key meat here) by using the firmness of your hand as a reference.
http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/007259the_finger_test_to_check_the_doneness_of_meat.php
I haven't tried it myself but it certainly doesn't seem very applicable to a wide range of meats.
http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/007259the_finger_test_to_check_the_doneness_of_meat.php
I haven't tried it myself but it certainly doesn't seem very applicable to a wide range of meats.
How Long Has This Been in the Fridge?
This is a wonderful list of how long food, broken down by category, can last in the fridge and freezer. I'm a long-time user of this list as a reference.
http://www.pastrywiz.com/storage/refridgerated.htm
http://www.pastrywiz.com/storage/refridgerated.htm
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Review: Sex and the City (the Movie)
What can I say? Sex and the City is one of my guilty pleasures and I always feel empowered and feminine watching it... at least, when I'm not frustrated with the way the women are reacting to things. On TV, DVD, and through YouTube (before the accounts got suspended =\), I've followed Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha through 6 seasons of ups and downs. I have sympathized with them, yelled at the screen when I thought they were wrong, wondered why they put themselves through the things they do, swooned over and loved/hated the guys, and, at least one time at one point for each girl, wished I could be one of them.
To me, the series did not drag on by any means but it was clear that it was running out of steam. If you go back and watch something from the first season after watching something from the last one, you'll feel a difference in the show. I respect the producers for acknowledging this and not trying to milk every last bit of profit they had; they chose to end the show with a bang. The movie really felt more like a second "last episode" than anything else.
The growth of the movie felt complete; in the 4 years that supposedly elapsed between the last episode and the beginning of the movie, the girls are different yet the same. They had fully adapted into their lives but still cling to those girlish moments when they were four single gals with their whole lives ahead of them. That's how this movie became a closer; they have to move on in different directions now. They'll never be like that again but their friendship is still strong.
WARNING: SPOILERS SECTION
(If you haven't seen it and don't want spoiler, please scroll down to "Overall Review")
I can't get over some of the plot developments in the movie. Steve was always my favorite guy; how could he do that to Miranda? But how could she let him get away from him like that??
Charlotte's daughter Lily was totally adorable and her incorporation into the movie really showed the development of Charlotte's character and the progression into true maturity for all the women. I couldn't have been happier that she finally got to be a mommy. Unlike the other girls, she didn't struggle with any giant problems in the movie but she's really happy with her life now despite it turning out not at all like she envisioned.
Carrie, on the other hand, had the worst of it. Just when we think life is going her way, some giant twist in the story occurs. Sometimes, you never know what's going to happen.
I'd have to say that my major criticism in the story is her personal assistant, Louise. Her resume says she's a Computer Science major. Let me tell you, I have a lot of CS friends... and most of them hold to stereotypes. Even among those who break them, there is no way someone who spends all his/her time on a computer has the time or energy (and likely the interest) to put effort into looks and labels the way Louise did. Plus, how did she come to New York flat broke? Don't the writers know that CS programmers make major bank? She could have had a plethora of CS-related jobs, but she wants to be a personal assistant to a professional writer? If she loved fashion so much, why did she go into CS?? It just doesn't make any sense.
Overall Review:
Overall, it was an enjoyable movie even for those that never followed the series. This movie was speculated to be the Indiana Jones equivalent for women and the numbers show -- it was a box office success. For those who did follow the series, like myself, the enticement of your favorite (or one of your favorite) shows becoming a movie was too good to pass up even if the movie itself didn't seem that enticing. The movie is part of a phenomenon and has given women something huge to hold on to the way men have their action movies. Don't get me wrong -- I love action movies myself and I don't disagree with a lot of the criticisms of the show. (That's a whole different story.) If nothing else, I recommend it as part of an education in pop culture. It's not a phenomenon for nothing; the writing is wonderful and episodes can leave you with a lot to think about regarding your own relationships and views on them.
To me, the series did not drag on by any means but it was clear that it was running out of steam. If you go back and watch something from the first season after watching something from the last one, you'll feel a difference in the show. I respect the producers for acknowledging this and not trying to milk every last bit of profit they had; they chose to end the show with a bang. The movie really felt more like a second "last episode" than anything else.
The growth of the movie felt complete; in the 4 years that supposedly elapsed between the last episode and the beginning of the movie, the girls are different yet the same. They had fully adapted into their lives but still cling to those girlish moments when they were four single gals with their whole lives ahead of them. That's how this movie became a closer; they have to move on in different directions now. They'll never be like that again but their friendship is still strong.
WARNING: SPOILERS SECTION
(If you haven't seen it and don't want spoiler, please scroll down to "Overall Review")
I can't get over some of the plot developments in the movie. Steve was always my favorite guy; how could he do that to Miranda? But how could she let him get away from him like that??
Charlotte's daughter Lily was totally adorable and her incorporation into the movie really showed the development of Charlotte's character and the progression into true maturity for all the women. I couldn't have been happier that she finally got to be a mommy. Unlike the other girls, she didn't struggle with any giant problems in the movie but she's really happy with her life now despite it turning out not at all like she envisioned.
Carrie, on the other hand, had the worst of it. Just when we think life is going her way, some giant twist in the story occurs. Sometimes, you never know what's going to happen.
I'd have to say that my major criticism in the story is her personal assistant, Louise. Her resume says she's a Computer Science major. Let me tell you, I have a lot of CS friends... and most of them hold to stereotypes. Even among those who break them, there is no way someone who spends all his/her time on a computer has the time or energy (and likely the interest) to put effort into looks and labels the way Louise did. Plus, how did she come to New York flat broke? Don't the writers know that CS programmers make major bank? She could have had a plethora of CS-related jobs, but she wants to be a personal assistant to a professional writer? If she loved fashion so much, why did she go into CS?? It just doesn't make any sense.
Overall Review:
Overall, it was an enjoyable movie even for those that never followed the series. This movie was speculated to be the Indiana Jones equivalent for women and the numbers show -- it was a box office success. For those who did follow the series, like myself, the enticement of your favorite (or one of your favorite) shows becoming a movie was too good to pass up even if the movie itself didn't seem that enticing. The movie is part of a phenomenon and has given women something huge to hold on to the way men have their action movies. Don't get me wrong -- I love action movies myself and I don't disagree with a lot of the criticisms of the show. (That's a whole different story.) If nothing else, I recommend it as part of an education in pop culture. It's not a phenomenon for nothing; the writing is wonderful and episodes can leave you with a lot to think about regarding your own relationships and views on them.
Introductory Post
I'm Shanna and, sometimes, I am random. Sometimes, I'm full of useful information (a la Tyler Durden) and sometimes I'm full of useless, but interesting, information.
I'm trying to move away from personal blogs because I want to disassociate myself from the angst-filled complaints and trivial surveys/drama and all the other things that came with the idea of blogging when it first began to emerge... In fact, my first "blog" was called TeenOpenDiary and it was essentially an electronic version of a diary. Now, nearly 8 years later, blogging is moving toward a professional form of communication and information relay.
This blog is an experiment for me in several ways. I'm on the verge of graduating college and still don't know what to do with my life. The professional blogs I've seen have always centered on one topic... and I'm trying that out with my other blog, Romantic Reflections, but it's success remains to be seen. So, writing about several different things will hopefully help me define what interests me and what I am good at. Also, I'm hoping to strengthen my writing and communicating skills. This is also an experiment to see if I have the dedication to blog regularly and where the blogs go.
I'm trying to move away from personal blogs because I want to disassociate myself from the angst-filled complaints and trivial surveys/drama and all the other things that came with the idea of blogging when it first began to emerge... In fact, my first "blog" was called TeenOpenDiary and it was essentially an electronic version of a diary. Now, nearly 8 years later, blogging is moving toward a professional form of communication and information relay.
This blog is an experiment for me in several ways. I'm on the verge of graduating college and still don't know what to do with my life. The professional blogs I've seen have always centered on one topic... and I'm trying that out with my other blog, Romantic Reflections, but it's success remains to be seen. So, writing about several different things will hopefully help me define what interests me and what I am good at. Also, I'm hoping to strengthen my writing and communicating skills. This is also an experiment to see if I have the dedication to blog regularly and where the blogs go.
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